CableLabs, the non-profit research and development consortium for the cable industry, has confirmed the availability of its DOCSIS 3.1 PHY (physical layer) and MULPI (MAC and Upper Layer Protocol) specifications. DOCSIS 3.1 technology will enable a new generation of cable services and help operators continue to meet consumer demand for high speed connections and sophisticated applications, positioning them to be the providers of choice in their markets.

“To meet the demand for higher speed access and increased network efficiency, CableLabs completed the development of DOCSIS 3.1 specifications 40 per cent faster than previous DOCSIS projects,” said Phil McKinney, president and chief executive officer of CableLabs. “These specifications represent the combined work of a large consortium of cable industry stakeholders.”

DOCSIS 3.1 technology provides significant new value for cable operators and consumers of broadband services including:

• Speed: Defines support for up to 10 Gbps downstream and up to 1 Gbps upstream network capabilities.

• Quality of Experience: Utilises Active Queue Management to significantly reduce network delay as data traffic grows in the home network, dramatically improving responsiveness for applications such as online gaming.
• Higher Capacity: Enables a significant increase in network capacity with the ability to transmit up to 50 per cent more data over the same spectrum, on existing HFC networks.
• Energy Efficiency: Enhancements to the DOCSIS protocols will increase cable modem energy efficiency.
• Flexible Migration Strategy: DOCSIS 3.1 modems are designed to co-exist with older versions enabling incremental deployment based on market demand.

“Based on the significant contributions from our members and technology suppliers, CableLabs has developed the technology foundation for the delivery of next generation broadband services over HFC networks,” said Dan Rice, senior vice president of access network technologies at CableLabs.

In developing the DOCSIS 3.1 technology, CableLabs streamlined its specification development process to allow both silicon and product vendors to accelerate development and testing. As soon as prototypes are available, CableLabs will facilitate interoperability testing of products at its labs to help equipment manufacturers prepare for certification and qualification

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